Is It Selfish To Elope?

I love the idea of running away together into the sunset to get married. It’s rather romantic. But some couples feel pressured to have a big wedding to keep their friends and family happy, sacrificing what they really want, which is an intimate celebration of their love.

For some couples, planning a big wedding is far from a romantic dream. Perhaps it’s the idea of standing up in front of a large crowd of people and being the centre of attention? It could be the enormous costs of having to invite a large number of people who you feel pressured to invite because your parents say you should. Or the pressure of having to wear a big white princess wedding dress to keep grandma happy when you really prefer something colourful and quirky.

The reasons couples choose to elope can also be very personal, and maybe a very emotional choice:

*Jasmine always dreamed of a big, beautiful wedding surrounded by friends and family. And when Andy proposed it was a dream come true. But last year when her father passed away, her dreams of her dad being there to walk her down the aisle and give her away to her fiancé were shattered, and it broke her heart. Her wedding would not be the same. How could she walk down the aisle without him? How could she celebrate when he was not there. Jasmine had wonderful memories of going on adventures with her father. Climbing mountains, skiing and trekking through forests, something that she also loved doing with Andy. So they decided to elope to the mountains, and say their vows at one of the peaks that Jasmine had once climbed with her dad.

*Adam and Greg had been together since high school. Although most of their family members were pretty accepting of their relationship, the term “gay wedding” had been sarcastically mentioned a few times in conversation. When they decided that they wanted to get married, they didn’t want their wedding to be talked about like it was some kind of spectacle. They wanted to get married, to give a part of their soul to one another, and to declare to each other to love and to care for them for the rest of their lives.

At the end of the day, marriage is not just about one day. It’s about two people promising themselves to each other for a lifetime. However you choose to celebrate this commitment, it should be a magical day you will remember forever.